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Floating Wetlands to Reduce Runoff

Waterways are being filled with chemicals from crop runoff as well as pharmaceutical leftovers. This causes a disruption in our ecosystems by reducing fish population, and disrupting the ecosystem in the water. This then causes a chain reaction to our food chain. Floating wetlands are a solution to this problem. Floating wetlands are plants that are placed on a floating mesh in the middle of a pond or lake. As the plants start to grow, the roots will grow into the water. The roots then allow for a biofilm to grow where the majority of nutrient uptake and degradation occurs.

Location
Mariposa Park, Jasper County, Iowa

Driving Question

  • How can floating wetlands help increase the bee population?

Probing Questions

  • As you look at the photo, what do you notice?
  • Why place plants floating on top of the water?
  • How do floating wetlands reduce the effect of runoff?
  • How do floating wetlands affect different ecosystems?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could: 

  • Create a flow chart of how wetlands affect water quality which in turn affects the ecosystem in the water.
  • Research how a floating wetland works and then make changes to the layout to increase effectiveness.
  • Create miniature floating wetland working models in the classroom (lab based activity) & monitor the water quality over time. This can be added to a fish tank already present in the classroom.

Teachers could:

  • Use this as an example of a cause and effect relationship from how micro scale changes cause macro changes.

Relevant Related Resources

 

Iowa Core Alignment

HS-LS2-2:

Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales

Credit Info

Submitted by Danielle Hoenig as a part of the Iowa STEM Teacher Externship program.

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